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NBA Picks

NBA Picks: NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings

The Heat are being pushed for the top spot in the NBA Eastern Conference. Here is a look at the thick competition, and maybe we can use this data to pull some winning NBA picks out.

NBA Eastern
Conference Power Rankings update

The
times they are changing, and the NBA’s Eastern Conference is turning over and
changing with the times. Teams from the bottom half have moved solidly into the
top three, and although they continue to win, the Miami Heat do not have the
cushion they had in the first half of the season. There seem to be more than
just one or two teams emerging that could give the Heat a run season, so let's
look at the updated East standings and see if I have the teams similarly
ranked.

Miami
Heat (29-13
SU, 21-21 ATS, 1st in East standings)

The Heat
had an up-and-down last week, but they still sit atop the East with a 1 1/2
game cushion. Over the last week, the Heat have played in two overtime games,
winning one and losing the other. Last night they had a huge win against the
Brooklyn Nets, which most of us saw coming after the ignorant comments of
Reggie Evans. However, even though they continue to win their lead in the
Eastern conference is shrinking fast. With the exception of a trip to Indiana
they don't have that many tough games within the next week, however right
before and right after the All-Star break Miami has a stretch of about six very
tough games in a row. They could be fade material coming soon.

Chicago
Bulls (28-17
SU, 18-27 ATS, 3rd in East standings)

Chicago
ascended to the two spot in my power rankings last week, and it is looking more
and more like they are in fact the second best team in the Eastern conference.
The emergence of Jimmy Butler for this team has been like making a big trade
without having to give anything up. Not to mention the fact that Derrick Rose
just started taking full contact in practice. Even though Rose's return will be
slow and likely off the bench, 20 minutes of Derrick Rose is still better than
three out of every four NBA players. The Bulls have two, and arguably three
All-Stars this year, and once all the pieces of the puzzle are in place, and if
Rose is healthy towards the end of the regular season, watch out Lebron. I
think Chicago might start evening out that awful ATS record of theirs soon and begin to beat the NBA odds.
They started last night.

New
York Knicks (28-15
SU, 23-20 ATS, 2nd in East standings)

The
Knicks went 3-1 SU since my last power rankings update, however they are
sticking in the third spot for now. My main reasoning for this is that I think
the Knicks have referred back to some of their old ways. They fall in love with
the three-point shot even when it's not falling, and in some games their
defense has been severely lacking. Carmelo Anthony is only one man, and if New
York's three-point arsenal isn't on, that puts a ton of pressure on him. The
Knicks and Bulls could very well be interchangeable in the two and three spots on
my power rankings, but New York’s recent lack of defensive intensity is
somewhat concerning. I think the Knicks might be fade material right now in
certain cases.

Brooklyn Nets (27-19 SU, 21-23-2 ATS, 4th
in East standings)

Despite
their ugly loss last night to Miami, the Nets hold down the fourth spot on my
power rankings once again this week. Brooklyn has been playing very well since
Avery Johnson fired, and I do not know if there is correlation in that or if it
is just coincidence, but the fact remains that Brooklyn has finally emerged as
one of the East’s best teams. Deron Williams is finally starting to look like
himself once again, and that always leads to getting easier shots for the rest
of Brooklyn's starters. They need to prove (much like the Knicks, Bulls and
Heat have done already this season) that they can beat the NBA's best teams. If
and/or when they do it, watch out and be ready with your NBA betting tickets.